Undergraduate Student Spotlight

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Criminal Procedures because I felt like I learned the most useful tips.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Getting an A in a class that the professor said was considered one of the hardest classes in the department.

What is your plan after graduation?

My plan after I graduate is to attend graduate school and get my masters.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Sociology of criminal law because Dr.Shields adds in scenarios that the students have to prosecute themself. I find that a very fun way to learn law.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am apart of the music fraternity SAI.

What is your plan after graduation?

I want to work in the forensics department.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I used to play the bassoon and tenor saxophone.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Intro to Criminal Justice and Criminology with Dr. Drawve! He provided a course that was very informative and introduced me to the SOCI/CRIM club, research opportunities, mentors, and more!

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Thus far, starting research with Dr. Harris, Dr. Drawve, and Hannah Steinman.

What are you involved in on campus?

Delta Delta Delta, Sociology and Criminology Club

What is your plan after graduation?

Graduate School

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I am a cancer survivor!

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Sociology of Criminal Law. It was a very engaging class and really pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. It was also a very rewarding class that made me feel accomplished in myself when I did well.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Being accepted to the University of Arkansas. This college is my dream college. I worked very hard to be accepted at this educational institution.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am a part of LAE and the Esports Club on campus.

What is your plan after graduation?

I plan to go to graduate school and continue a career in academia. I am hoping to begin research on criminal behaviors.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I LOVE to game. Gaming allows me to apply sociological theories into inter-game conflicts. I enjoy playing with my dog, Budi, and spending a lot of time with my Mom.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Criminal Investigation. Professor Brooks was one of the best professors I’ve had and made the class extremely interesting.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Passing Finance.

What are you involved in on campus?

Greek life and intramural sports.

What is your plan after graduation?

Law School

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 2 years and spend most of my time outdoors.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

My favorite course so far in my undergrad has to be a Criminal Law course that was taught by Dr. Shields. It was challenging but extremely rewarding and the content was very interesting to me as it pertains to subject matter that I will most likely be encountering later on as an attorney.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

I feel that my greatest academic accomplishment is a research paper I that I wrote on the topic of New Religious Movements and their link to Social Anomie in the United States. It dove into the historical context of the proliferation of New Religious Movements of the mid to late twentieth century and how they influenced and were influenced by the socio cultural and political climate of the time.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am involved with the National Society of Leadership and Success.

What is your plan after graduation?

I plan on graduating and attending Law School at the University of Arkansas. I intend on interning at a law firm while I earn my JD and I plan on making a career out of practicing law in Northwest Arkansas.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I was born in Springdale, Arkansas, but moved around a lot as I grew up and came back to Fayetteville for college. I love the area and the people in it and intend on staying here and making a life for myself.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

My favorite class I have taken so far is Introduction to Criminology and CMJS because it covered a variety of topics to explore, I looked forward to go going to class.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

My greatest academic accomplishment thus far is maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout my first year of college.

What are you involved in on campus?

I wanted to spend my freshman year exploring what campus has to offer, so I did not join many clubs; although, I look forward to getting more involved in the Sociology and Criminology department as well as Alpha Upsilon Beta. I am a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

What is your plan after graduation?

After graduation, my plan is to attend law school.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

An interesting fact about me is that I live part-time in Belleville, Illinois and in Frisco, Texas when I am not at the University of Arkansas.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Special Topics- The Sociology of Mental Health. It gave me a fresh, and novel view on the topic of mental heath that I don’t think I would have gotten, or at least wouldn’t have gotten in such depth, in another class.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Getting into grad school!

What are you involved in on campus?

I’m in Psi Chi and on the university’s track and field team.

What is your plan after graduation?

Graduate school!

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I have a spot on Australian accent, I know how to juggle, and I can deadlift 450lbs.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Criminal Investigations has definitely been my favorite class. Professor Brooks makes the class enjoyable for his students and makes it fun to learn. He goes through different cases that he worked at the police department and educates the class on how they were handled. The class is super interesting and fun to learn about.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

My greatest academic accomplishment was receiving the Outstanding Criminal Justice Student Award my senior year of high school. I took college classes through my high school which is where I discovered my love for criminal justice. I was so proud and honored to be awarded the highest award I could receive in the class.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am currently a member of the Razorback Marching Band and I absolutely love it.

What is your plan after graduation?

I currently plan on receiving internships my junior and senior year of college in order to increase my chances of getting a job in federal law enforcement. Once I graduate, I plan to work for a federal department in either counterintelligence or surveillance.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I have been playing the clarinet for almost nine years now and I absolutely love reading about the justice system and famous criminals. I also was a part of the Future Agents in Training Program for the F.B.I. my senior year of high school.

far? Why?

Any of Dr Shields because he’s awesome.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Completing ROTC.

What are you involved in on campus?

Army ROTC, Razorback Veterans.

What is your plan after graduation?

I am attending graduate school at the U of A to study Sociology with a focus in Criminology.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I served 7 years active duty and am currently in the National Guard.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

I really enjoyed CRIM 1003 with Dr. Dwarve. He always kept class interesting by interacting and asking questions during the lecture.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

I’m only a freshman, so I haven’t really had any influential ones yet.

What are you involved in on campus?

So far, I am only truly/ heavily involved in my sorority, Delta Gamma, but we serve so many other organizations as well that I feel involved all over Fayetteville.

What is your plan after graduation?

Hopefully after my 4 years at The University of Arkansas, I can move on to finding a law school in Texas to further my path to being a licensed criminal lawyer in Texas.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

From 1st-12th grade, I was in the spanish immersion program at my school and was taught primarily in spanish throughout the entire academic career. I really loved this experience because as a young hispanic woman myself, I think it’s important for me to stay close to my culture by learning their beautiful language

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

My favorite class I've taken so far has to be Sociology of Criminal Law with Dr. Shields. I enjoyed learning about all of the different laws and also how to apply them to real world scenarios. Dr. Shields is also such a great professor and is super knowledgable about criminal law.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

My greatest academic accomplishment is earning a 3.75 GPA for three semesters in a row during my college career.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority here on campus.

What is your plan after graduation?

I plan to hopefully get a job at the new FBI office here in Fayetteville or to find a job in the Criminal Justice system. I am currently doing a research internship with Dr. Harris and Dr. Drawve this summer. Hopefully this internship will allow me to narrow my search to what exactly I want I do when I graduate.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I was born and raised in Grapevine Texas, which is just outside of Dallas, I grew up playing soccer and volleyball but ended up just playing volleyball year round for about eight years, and I am left handed which is something that people find very interesting when they first meet me.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Criminal Investigation, because it was interesting learning about what goes on behind the scenes in solving a case.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Making it to my junior year, and making good grades every semester!

What is your plan after graduation?

After graduation I plan to find a job in the field and in a couple years after gaining some experience, go back to graduate school.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I love being outdoors and I enjoy the time I spend with my friends and family!

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Deviant Behavior with Dr. Bradley. She made information that was often tough or upsetting easier to digest. She also helped us all reexamine what we all think of as deviant and why.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Making the very scary decision to completely change my academic path from biology to psychology/criminology.

What are you involved in on campus?

I'm in the honors college, I'm an honors college ambassador, I'm a student ambassador for the school, I was a research assistant in the Law and Memory Processes lab in the psychology department, and I'm now completing my thesis in the lab.

What is your plan after graduation?

Graduate school for forensic psychology.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I love theatre, I volunteer at the Walton Arts Center frequently, I love to embroider even if I'm not very good at it.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Police and society it was really eye opening and fun.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Being the first of my siblings to attend and finish college.

What are you involved in on campus?

I’m a member of lambda alpha epsilon.

What is your plan after graduation?

A job and then graduate school.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I love poetry, music and traveling.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Mass Incarceration because Dr. Engel is a great professor who is passionate about this topic, and it was interesting learning about the policies that have been enacted and their effects on the prison population.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Getting accepted into Alpha Phi Sigma and Psi Chi.

What are you involved in on campus?

Alpha Phi Sigma, Psi Chi, Psychology Club

What is your plan after graduation?

Graduate School in a Clinical Psychology or Criminology program.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I have known I wanted to be involved in Criminal Justice in some aspect since I was six. My favorite thing to do outside of school is to play board games and spend time with my two dogs.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Criminal Evidence, because it’s a hard class but I feel like I learned the most that I have learned so far.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Yet to be determined.

What is your plan after graduation?

Law school

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

If I were not pursuing law I would pursue fine art, such as theater and/or singing.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Medical Sociology. It was very interesting learning about all the different medical issues we gave as a society.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

I feel as for now my greatest academic accomplishment is being able to successfully manage being a double major, and at the same time maintaining a full time job.

What is your plan after graduation?

I plan on attending graduate school for forensic psychology. After this, I hope to get a job with a government agency where I can work towards my goal of being part of the behavioral analysis unit.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I like to run, hike, play instruments, and video games. I enjoy the out doors and like to spend a lot of time outside.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

My favorite class has been Criminal Investigations with Professor Brooks. This class gave me insight into the life and career of a crime scene technician, I also got to see real cases that occurred in Fayetteville. Also Professor Brooks is just awesome and made learning in his class fun.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

My greatest academic accomplishment has been my high grade point average while maintaining my responsibilities within my job, my sorority, my clubs, and my volunteer work.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am involved in RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), Alpha Phi Sigma, and I am a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

What is your plan after graduation?

After graduation I plan to either attend Chiropractic school where I will become a Doctor of Chiropractic or I will pursue a career in the FBI or with the US Marshals.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I am a Chiropractic Assistant. I love photography and art. I have a mini dachshund named Princess Peach. My mom was on WorldStar my sophomore year after attending a football tailgate. I am athletic, I like to golf and to go running. I also like to shoot my 22 caliber hand gun in my free time as well.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Intro to Criminology, because my teacher passionately and carefully explained criminology and its various aspects.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

I earned a 4.0 for both 1st and 2nd semester of my 1st year of college.

What are you involved in on campus?

I am in the Honors College and Greek Life.

What is your plan after graduation?

I plan to have an internship with the FBI, if they'll accept me,, to explore what I am passionate about.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I studied Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in high school and absolutely love to read fictional books.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Into to criminology by Professor Drawve/ Race, Class, and Gender by Professor Barnum.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Maintaining honor rolls while in a pandemic.

What is your plan after graduation?

Get my Masters in Social Work.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I write poetry and I served in different areas at my church.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

Criminal Law in Society because Dr. Shields is undoubtedly one of my favorite professors. The way he teaches is phenomenal, and he makes sure to keep the class interesting.

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

Successfully defending my honors thesis and maintaining a 4.0 major GPA.

What are you involved in on campus?

I was involved in Beta Upsilon Chi fraternity and Catholic Campus Ministries.

What is your plan after graduation?

I am attending graduate school at the U of A to study Sociology with a focus in Criminology.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

I spend a lot of my time refurbishing old furniture that I find, thrifting vintage clothes, and doing photography.

What has been your favorite class that you have taken in the department so far? Why?

I have really enjoyed every class I have taken in the department! I would have to say my favorite was CRIM LAW with Dr. Shields because the cases and laws sparked my curiosity and desire to learn. Corrections and Control with Dr. Sabon was also fantastic because it offered different perspectives about our system. I really enjoyed the reading material "Just Mercy" because it changed the way I viewed our system. I think everyone should read that book and everyone will learn something different. Lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed any course taught by Dr. Paez. Her passion for what she taught showed and made all of her students want to succeed!

What is your greatest academic accomplishment?

I would say that my greatest academic accomplishment is maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout my college career and receiving the Fulbright award!

What are you involved in on campus?

I am the captain and president of the Women's Ultimate Frisbee team. This team provides great stress relief and many friendships! I also work part time at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. I was hoping to join the SOCI/CRIM honors society but was unable to before everything was moved online.

What is your plan after graduation?

I plan on attending graduate school for forensic psychology. After this, I hope to get a job with a government agency where I can work towards my goal of being part of the behavioral analysis unit.

What are some interesting (nonacademic) facts about you?

1. I have a cat named Chessie who loves to eat my plants. But, I adore her anyways. 2. I really enjoy crafting, whether its knitting, painting, or embroidering. Anything to keep my mind and hands busy is fantastic!